At the start of the fifth week of the trial against the two IS-accused sisters, Police Superintendent Martin Bøyum presented electronic seizures from the mobile phone of the eldest sister. When she used this mobile phone, she was in the overcrowded Al Hol camp in Syria with her children. This camp was marked by violence and great hardship. On her mobile, the eldest sister from Bærum had downloaded IS propaganda and an execution video. The two sisters appeared in court together with their defenders. Photo: Ane Hem / NTB She thinks she had to have this on her phone, to appear as a supporter of IS. If not, this would put her in danger. The mobile phone has been obtained by the Norwegian police from the British police. Britane answered the phone when they arrested the eldest sister in the Al Hol camp. It was because she had custody of the child of a well-known foreign fighter. According to several mediums, this female foreign fighter from Great Britain wanted to be the first to behead people from the West. – Her radical opinions are one thing, but she was a pleasant person, the sister answers in court. The older of the two sisters is accused of having “handled incidents and reactions” against women who were seen as enemies of IS, or who did not support IS’s ideology in the camp. On this phone, the police found several conversations which they believe prove this. The two sisters plead not guilty in the case. According to themselves, they traveled to Syria to carry out aid work, and that they never supported IS. – Beat the crap out of them In March 2021, the defendant chatted with a woman who he thinks was Finnish-Somali. The topic of the conversation was what to do with five women in the camp who were seen as “spies”. This refugee camp was run by a Kurdish militia. Those who lived there came from former IS-controlled areas. She told the court about a tough environment where they had to follow IS’s rules of the game, while at the same time it was a “lawless society”. State prosecutor Marit Formo is leading the case against the sisters from Bærum. Photo: Terje Pedersen / NTB The sisters explained what the Russian-speaking group wanted to do with the “spies” because they had caused so much damage in the camp. – They were supposed to beat the crap out of them, the sister told the court. The prosecution, on the other hand, believes that the defendant himself was involved in the handling of the “spies”. In the chat, the sister tells about the plans: “We are not doing anything right now. We are just waiting for permission to do the work,” wrote the eldest sister. It was a judge in IS who was supposed to give this permission. In court, the defendant was pressed on who she thought we were. The sister admitted that we were herself and the Russian-speaking group of women, but she denied that she would be part of this. – If this is someone other than you, why don’t you write “they”? – I’ll write it later. One uses “we” and “they” interchangeably. – I don’t understand that, but ok, replies the prosecutor. – Why are you getting involved then, she added. – I lived in their neighbourhood. When you are so close to it, you are part of a we, even if you have no intention of doing anything. She was then asked by the prosecutor what “job” was to be carried out. – It was exercising physical violence against these women. news met the two sisters in Syria. Photo: Gunnar Bratthammer In the chat, the eldest sister wrote further that she had used the last few days to follow the “spies”. The sister explained that these women were dangerous because they told the guards about who had phones, plans to escape and the like. The security guards could then steal and beat up women, the sister explained. – Not as serious as the language looks In the chat from March 2021, the defendant wrote that the “sisters” wanted all five women to be “taken out”. In court, the defendant explained that by “the sisters” she was referring to the group of Russian-speaking women in the camp. “Five spies are involved and the sisters want to ‘take out’ all of them,” the defendant wrote. – The language is very, very tough. It was not as serious as the language makes it seem. The intention was to stop these women from the danger and the threat they were to the community in Al Hol, said the defendant. According to the prosecutor, PST believes that they have identified one of the five “spy women”. – Do you know whether she was subjected to violence, asks Formo. – I am not familiar with it. Nothing happened to these women while I was in the Al Hol camp. – Information has come to light that he was almost killed. Are you familiar with it? – No, replies the eldest sister. Read the “spy chat” here Accused: we are not doing anything right now we are just waiting for permission to do the job. I’ve spent the last days looking at the spies. The sisters showed me where 2 look and where some of them live. Its a big thing this time 5 spies are involved and the sisters want to take all of them out. (…) Defendant: They presented the evidence to a qadi and are waiting for the hukum inshaAllah The defendant explained that she followed these “spies” because they could put her in a dangerous situation. – It was important to know who she should avoid, said defense attorney Tor Omar Nyquist to news when the court adjourned. State Attorney Marit Formo says the prosecution does not buy this explanation. – We think she had a role in what happened there, and that her explanation does not appear to be credible, says Formo to news. Read more about what they are charged with here: Published 13.11.2024, at 14.10
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Wrote that the woman should be “taken out” – must have almost been killed, according to the prosecutor
